the untried regions of eternity-nor wake from this delusion, until they wake in endless woe. Should the citizens of America, in a fit of desperation, be induced to commit this fatal act of political suicide, to which by such arguments they are stimulated, the day will come when laboring under more than Egyptian bondage; compelled to finish their quota of brick, though destitute of straw and of mortar; galled with your chains, and worn down by oppression, you will, by sad experience, be convinced (when that conviction shall be too late), that there is a difference in evils, and that the buzzing of gnats is more supportable than the sting of a serpent. From the wisdom of antiquity we might obtain excellent instruction, if we were not too proud to profit by it. Esop has furnished us with a history of a nation of frogs, between which and our own there is a striking resemblance-whether the catastrophe be the same, rests with ourselves. Jupiter out of pure good nature, wishing to do them as little injury as possible, on being asked for a king, had thrown down into their pond a log to rule over them ;— under whose government, had they been wise enough to know their own interest and to pursue it, they might to this day, have remained happy and prosperous. Terrified with the noise, and affrighted by the violent undulations of the water, they for some time kept an awful distance, and regarded their monarch with reverence; but the first impression being in some measure worn off, and perceiving him to be of a tame and peaceable disposition, they approached him with familiarity, and soon entertained for him the utmost contempt. In a little time were seen the leaders of the frogs croaking to their respective circles on the weakness and feebleness of the government at home, and of its want of dignity and respect abroad, till the sentiment being caught by their auditors, the whole pond resounded with "Oh Jupiter, good Jupiter, hear our prayers! take away from us this vile log, and give us a ruler who shall know how to support the dignity and splendor of government! give us any government you please, only let it be energetic and efficient." The Thunderer, in his wrath, sent them a crane. With what delight did they gaze on their monarch, as he came majestically floating on the wings of the wind. They admired his uncommon shape-it was such as they had never before seen-his deformities were, in their eyes, the greatest of beauties, and they were heard like Aristides to eclare that, were they on the verge of eternity, they would not

wish a single alteration in his form. His monstrous beak, his long neck, and his enormous poke, even these, the future means of their destruction, were subjects of their warm approbation. He took possession of his new dominions, and instantly began to swallow down his subjects, and it is said that those who had been the warmest zealots for crane administration, fared no better than the rest. The poor wretches were now much more dissatisfied than before, and with all possible humility applied to Jupiter again for his aid, but in vain-he dismissed them with this reproof, "that the evil of which they complained they had foolishly brought upon themselves, and that they had no other remedy now, but to submit with patience." Thus forsaken by the god, and left to the mercy of the crane, they sought to escape his cruelty by flight; but pursuing them to every place of retreat, and thrusting his long neck through the water to the bottom, he drew them out with his beak from their most secret hiding-places, and served them up as a regale for his ravenous appetite. The present federal government is, my fellow citizens, the log of the fable-the crane is the system now offered to your acceptance-I wish you not to remain under the government of the one, nor to become subjected to the tyranny of the other. If either of these events take place, it must arise from your being greatly deficient to yourselves— from your being, like the nation of Frogs, "a discontented, variable race, weary of liberty and fond of change." At the same time I have no hesitation in declaring, that if the one or the other must be our fate, I think the harmless, inoffensive, though contemptible Log, infinitely to be preferred to the powerful, the efficient, but all-devouring Crane.

Baltimore, March 29, 1788.

LUTHER MARTIN.

A PLAIN DEALER.

(SPENCER ROANE?)

IN

THE VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT CHRONICLE.

66

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1788.

Mons parturiens et ecce nascitur mus.

After a long and general expectancy of some dissertation on the subject of the proposed Fœderal Constitution, worthy the first magistrate of the respectable state of Virginia, a letter of his Excellency Governor Randolph, of Oct. 10, 1787, is at length presented to the public. Previous to the appearance of this letter, various opinions were prevailing in different parts of this country respecting that gentleman's real opinion on the subject of the said Constitution; and it became difficult for many to conjecture how his Excellency would devise a middle course, so as to catch the spirit of all his countrymen, and to reconcile himself to all parties. It was not known to me, at least, that his Excellency felt an unwillingness to disturb the harmony of the legislature" on this important subject; nor could I conceive that the sentiments of even the ablest man among us could "excite a contest unfavorable" to the fairest discussion of the question. On the other hand, I thought it right that the adversaries of the Constitution, as well as its framers, should candidly avow their real sentiments as early and decidedly as possible, for the information of those who are to determine. It is true, his Excellency was prevented declaring his opinion sooner, "by motives of delicacy arising from two questions depending before the General Assembly, one respecting the Constitution, the other respecting himself;" but I am of opinion that during the pendency of a question concerning the Constitution.

ut admitting his infant for a moment, wow for a le carry him?-why, that if the son

of the new Constitution. Los de Monte the spirit of America, his Exe Huge

and yet this question of the Conversation, a med

THE FATE OF THOUSANDS YET INPORN DEPENDE

ellency's opinion, as expressed in the alone o an ALLT 98% rers which are acknowledged necessary for pong tam cannot safely be entrusted to our Congress as at praka ed; and his vain objection is that the represZA E AJ s bears no proportion to their importance." 15 and an ; but is equally true of the Senate of the proposa

which is to be an essential part of the legislature; and xcellency will accept the latter, and not agree to abvest ssary powers in the former, although the above object.on pplies to both. Nay, I am inclined to believe that the consequences of this unequal representation will operate ngly under the new government-for under the present tion the members of Congress are removable at the pleas ir constituents;-whereas under the proposed Constitunly method of removing a wicked, unskilful or treacherr, will be by impeachment before the senate itself, of s a member.

Ir. Printer, are some of the inconsistencies which even servation of the above letter will suggest. It is not my oppose now, or to investigate, the merits of the ConThis I leave to abler pens, and to the common sense of

men.

The science of government is in itself simple and if in the history of mankind no perfect governfound, let it be attributed to the chicane, perfidy and those who fabricate them; and who are more or less, with all mankind, infected with a lust of power. It is, rtainly not consistent with sound sense to accept a knowing it to be imperfect; and his Excellency s the proposed one to have radical objections. A ought to be like Cæsar's wife, not only good, but since it is the highest compact which men are capng, and involves the dearest rights of life, liberty and fear his Excellency has done no service to his favorite endments (and he too seems to be of the same opin